It was beginning to look like the Lakers were going to stay quiet. As the trade deadline approached, it seemed that Los Angeles would be content holding on to its young talent and backing off on its original intention of landing two superstars in the offseason. After all, there were reports just days before the deadline that the Lakers' front office would refocus its efforts to the 2019 class.

And then, only a few minutes past noon on Thursday, the NBA world exploded. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski kicked off the fun by revealing the Lakers went for broke and traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cavs in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick.

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"This was an essential step for us to get a playoff team and a championship-caliber team back to the Lakers, which is the sole goal Earvin [Magic Johnson, Lakers president of basketball operations] and I have working together," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in his Thursday press conference.

It turns out the Lakers were not willing to wait another year. They have their eyes set on the upcoming offseason - and on LeBron James and Paul George.

In order to have a chance of courting James and George, the Lakers needed to create the cap space to sign two max contract players in the offseason. They have been attempting to dump contracts that would have them handicapped in their pursuit of both future free agents.

In trading away Clarkson and Nance, the Lakers shed $14.8 million in salary ahead of the 2018-19 season. (Thomas and Frye are both on expiring contracts and unlikely to re-sign with the team this summer.) Additionally, if the Lakers choose not to re-sign restricted free agent Julius Randle after this year and stretch the final two years of Luol Deng's contract, they will have plenty of room for multiple stars.

windhorst just made a great point: the cavs may have cleared cap space for the lakers that they could use to sign...yanno, lebron james.

This was the home-run move that the Lakers have been searching for. They were able to create the flexibility that they so desperately needed.

"As we all know, if you're gonna get something great, you gotta give up something great, right? So it was hard for us to give up our two young players," Johnson said. "But I don't want to stay in 11th place, and I don't want this organization to stay there.

"So we have to make moves to be able to put us in the playoffs, in position to sign great free agents one day."

With the way things are going in Cleveland, this was clearly the right move. The relationship between LeBron and the Cavs' front office could be past the point of repair as the Cavs continue to struggle and look less likely each day to return to the NBA Finals for a fourth consecutive year. (Counterpoint: Cleveland's moves to change the team's current roster and long-term future could have given James second thoughts about leaving. Only time will tell.)

And even though the Thunder have played better as of late, the "OK3" trio of George, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook is still far from perfect together. George has bonded with Westbrook, but he isn't offering any guarantees he'll stay in Oklahoma City beyond this season.

"At the end of the season, it's still on my decision on what I need to do for my family. That has nothing to do with my happiness here, though," George said in a recent interview with USA Today's Sam Amick. "I've been really happy. It's a great organization to be a part of, but again, you know, I don't want people looking at this and (saying) like, 'Hey, because he said it's his happiness at the end of the day (that he's definitely re-signing).'

"I don't know if whether I'm going to LA, or what I'm going to do this offseason. But I can say I am happy about being here. I'm happy with playing with Russ, happy with playing with Melo, and this organization. This front office has shown what they can do to go get pieces and how active they are about winning."

The work is just beginning for Magic and the Lakers. Their young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma needs to keep improving this season, as that hope for the future will make Los Angeles a desirable destination for free agents in 2018 and beyond.

While landing James, George or both is far from a sure thing, the Lakers have put themselves in a great position to do so.